Reactance
by InoSakuShine
Summary: In which Sakura finds an outlet for her strange feelings for Kakashi through his younger clone, and it is finally addressed why Kakashi was not more of a father figure in Naruto's life. In a mission seeking Sasuke. The past rushes up to meet them.
1. Special Clone

*To those who are following The Color of Sacrifice, don't kill me. I'm posting the final chapter tonight!*

**Extended Summary: In which Sakura finds an outlet for her strange feelings for Kakashi through his younger clone, and it is finally addressed why Kakashi was not more of a father figure in Naruto's life. In a mission seeking Sasuke. The past finally comes rushing up to meet them.**

_Author's Note: _Hi guys, you may be slightly confused regarding what this is really about (and I'll admit, I kind of am too). In this fic, I attempt to address many things I haven't seen addressed in the anime/manga, like Kakashi's complicated relationship with his students given his previous relationships (Minato, Obito, Rin). It's all very connected and I don't see why Kakashi wasn't more in tune to that, or why it's not shown. Anyways, I'm only touching on this a bit, it's too much to tackle in a fanfiction but that's the gist. **That + KakaSaku**.

For those who don't like the pairing, give it a try. The pairing with be very tolerable for most of the fic, as in Kaka-Saku in an acceptable form. I don't know everything about Naruto, but I'll try to stay true to the Naruto-verse happenings as much as a can. **This takes place in Shippuden** after the whole Pain thing. I won't explain the rest, please ask me any questions you have. _I don't own Naruto._

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><p><strong>Reactance<strong>

**Chapter 1: Special Clone**

Kakashi Hatake was the perfect tool. He came equipped with a thousand jutsus, kekkai genkai, intelligence and experience, youth that equated to ancientness in the shinobi world, and nothing to hold him back except from the limits of his own chakra reserves.

"Are you married?" He was once asked before a mission. At twenty-nine, his answer was a bland "no."

"Do you have any children?" For a mission with a high fatality rate, children-less shinobi were the first to be pitched into the fire. "No," he answered. He could never imagine having any.

Just before he gave the simple answer, and even as he spoke it, a fiery image flashed before his eyes. For some reason, whatever reason, Naruto and Sakura's faces popped into his head for a fraction of a second. Sakura's image melted away immediately, and Naruto's took a millisecond longer. Even Sasuke's scent tingled in the back of his consciousness before fading into nothingness.

"Are you sure?" the eligibility clerk asked after looking at the strange expression on his face.

Of course he was sure. Naruto and Sakura were no longer children.

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><p>"I hope this is good," Naruto said under his breath, but loud enough for the blonde woman seated front-and-center to hear him. The corner of his mouth twitched in anticipation—not just because Konoha's Hokage had just informed him of a mission assignment, but because of the others present in the office.<p>

To Naruto's right stood Kakashi, the sensei he missed harassing since his absence. The only thing that made Naruto sour about the Jounin's nonchalant presence was the orange book held at his side. For Kakashi the novel may have served as a distraction from the shinobi's hard knock life, but for Naruto it was just a nagging reminder of the pit in his stomach that Jiraiya used to fill. At least he had one white haired mentor left, and they were about to embark on a mission.

To Kakashi's left stood Sakura, grown up and attentively listening to baa-chan's every words with an air of authority. It was funny how much she had grown, though her aggressive tendencies never left; only now the threat behind her words became very real.

Tsunade looked more tense than usual, Sakura noted. She was surprised her master hadn't hit the bottle yet with the nerves she was displaying.

"I called you three here on this mission because it must be carried about with absolute stealth. This is classified. No one can know about this mission, got it?" Tsunade stated evenly, injecting particular force into the last phrase with an aim at Naruto. The blonde nodded once, eager to learn more. "It's a particular mission I've entrusted to you three… but I don't want you going overboard."

As soon as those words left her mouth, a wave of powerful hunger hit them all. Suddenly there was an elephant in the room; an elephant with dark hair and red eyes that Naruto, for once, had no problem addressing.

With a dry mouth he asked, "Is it…?"

"It's a lead on Sasuke. We can't be sure if it isn't a trap, which is why I'm sending you three to scout the location. If it is confirmed, you must call for backup." There had been small rumors and leads before, but Tsunade had never directly asked any of the remaining Team 7 members to take part in the investigation. No lead had been hot enough to risk sending three prime shinobi away from the village in its time of reconstruction.

"Why not send ANBU if the tactic is stealth?" asked Kakashi, prompting Naruto to whirl around with betrayal etched on his face. He sensed Sakura seething in mutiny as well, but to him it didn't add up.

"Hm, well, Kakashi…" Tsunade's mouth twitched in a small smile as she regarded the ever-sharp Kakashi, cautious as usual. Here she threw him a chance to meet his long lost student, and he was nearly declining. "I would if there were any to spare."

Everyone stiffened—news about the shortage on ninja in the village circulated around the Leaf. Hearing it confirmed was bleak. Naruto couldn't help but feel a little cheated that Tsuande sent them out because she was being frugal with her shinobi budget. The said Hokage laced together her fingers and elaborated:

"This happens to be incredibly rotten timing. I just sent a mass of ANBU on a different trail—something I can't easily disclose to you three. During even the last stages of village reconstruction, I can't afford to send anyone else out of the village. That would be begging for an attack. That's why I'm turning to you… I know you'll work fast and get this done. That's why there's a time limit on this mission, too."

Sakura's ears picked up on an annoying series of cracks. The popping sounds came from Naruto's clenched fist and cracking knuckles; he was just as excited about this as she was. When Tsunade asked if they accepted the task, almost sarcastically, of course her blonde teammate confirmed immediately. Her heart did, too. But, Sakura's head turned to Kakashi in question, the only one who seemed not to be oozing enthusiasm. Then again, Kakashi-Sensei never "oozed" any kind of visible emotion.

She hadn't expected him to catch her gaze like he suddenly did, so she looked away hurriedly.

"Sakura, is there something you wanted to ask?" She heard him say behind her. He counted on her to speak her analytical mind.

"Master, there are only three people in our cell… " It was substandard for missions to be carried out in four-man cells, they knew. Despite the fact that nearly each ninja acquired Jounin status, it might affect their formations to be lacking a member. Sakura voiced this.

Not that she didn't miss the old Team 7 embarking on a nostalgic Sasuke-hunt. It was just odd that Tsunade did not explain herself.

"Observant as usual, Sakura. Sai is on a mission already. And yes, I agree that you do need another member assigned to your team as back up—don't think I'm taking this mission lightly. There is possibility you might run into an Akatski member or who knows…"

"Then who else are you assigning to our team?" burst out Naruto impatiently, which would have warranted a swift jab of Sakura's elbow if he were standing any closer. "We don't need anyone else!"

"Cockiness isn't going to get you anywhere," Tsunade snapped. There was a hollow pause hovering in the office while the Hokage appeared to be thinking. The three skilled ninja before her waited, and waited…. Until:

"Kakashi. You still have your special clone time-sealed, don't you?" Naruto and Sakura whirled around to the elite Jounin in puzzlement and were surprised at the sight:

Blantant shock set upon Kakashi's face, even through his mask, in a rare display of emotion Sakura couldn't remember seeing often. It seemed to take him a few seconds to speak, incredulous at whatever Tsunade had said. Neither of them knew what was going on between the pair.

"Uh… Yes. You want to withdraw it at this time?"

"I can't think of a more fitting mission to be honest. Desperate times call for… well, you know. Isn't its expiration date coming up?"

"Special clones don't have an "expiration date"."

"Right! So get to work on unsealing it and you all can be off to depart tomorrow. Dismissed!" Tsunade boomed, her mood shifting into good cheer. Seeing Kakashi uncomfortable tended to light a spark in her day. Naruto sniffed and Sakura inwardly remarked on how defeated their sensei looked. Hands in his pockets, he turned to leave.

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><p>"Hey, hey!" A faint buzzing trailed behind the Jounin until he pulled his head from the clouds and realized two of his previous students tacked onto his trail. Naruto's voice attacked his back. "Kakashi-Sensei, what did Granny mean back there? What "special clone"? Who's our new team member?" Sakura walked quietly at his side, too, mulling over the same questions.<p>

"Well, you'll see," Kakashi said through his mask. He doubted the blonde would let the issue drop. Now that Naruto was nearly as tall as he was, he seemed to think he should be taken more seriously.

"But—"

"Sensei… Do you really have a special clone sealed?"

Ah, so one of them knew the term. Naruto turned on the pink haired girl, who seemed to fit an encyclopedia behind her wide forehead.

"What is it?" he asked, with blue eyes darting back in forth between the two. He didn't understand why Kakashi had turned around and Sakura was gaping at him with an open mouth. His silence confirmed her question.

"A time-sealed clones is a special kind of clone. The user can create this special clone through an incredibly hard and complex jutsu and seal it in a locked scroll. Throughout time the scroll preserves the clone in the exact form when it was created. The longer it's stored, but more complete it will be when unsealed. The clone's lifespan actually doesn't depend on health—it will be a proportional time to how long it was stored. I thought it was a myth…"

"A myth? Why didn't I do it? What's so special about it?" Naruto asked, secretly impressed that there was such a thing and secretly bitter than he had never heard of it.

"Didn't you hear me? It's incredibly hard and complex. The user has to seal 75% of their chakra in the clone. Only someone with enormous skill and chakra shaping abilities could do something like that. It's rare. And un-sealing it takes even more of a toll." Her incredulous green eyes shifted towards the man who supposedly had this time-sealed clone stored away for a rainy day. Kakashi rubbed the back of his head idly, one dark eye now set on her.

"Don't tell anyone about this," he said. "I think it's better if it remains hidden for now." The Copy Nin fidgeted under his students fascinated stare—Naruto looked ready to implode from the possibilities and beg his former teacher to teach him. But like Sakura said, it wasn't that simple. And he hadn't expected Tsunade to call it out in from of them.

The heckling subsided when the elder Jounin made it clear that he needed to go… _prepare._

Naruto was still bristling._ Just when I thought I had him figured out, there's this… Will I ever measure up?_

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><p><em><em>**That's the short first chapter! Please REVIEW! And my policy is: always let me know if anyone gets out-of-character. I hate that.**

**Thanks!**


	2. What's Wrong, Sakura?

I'm struggling on these chapter cut-offs.

Keep up the good reviewing! More reviews = faster updates. Hopefully your questions will be answered through the story.

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><p><strong>Chapter 2:<strong>

**What's Wrong, Sakura?  
><strong>

It was both comforting and infuriating to know that even though many things changed, they really didn't. How nostalgic could a Team Kakashi mission be without the captain himself extremely late? But even for Kakashi this was pushing the boundaries. When his pair of ex-students arrived the sun barely crawled out for the horizon, and now it was passing through the sky's middle.

"That's it! We're going without him!" Naruto growled, up in arms. The only kunoichi of the team looked like she wasn't too far behind taking the suggestion. In a well-time cue, a plume of smoke erupted from an overheard archway—the same meeting place they used to gather as Genin. Crouched on the arch was the Copy Ninja himself, not looking overly concerned with the time.

Two of his ex-students fixed him with a steely stare. He knew something was wrong when

they did not throw out words of admonishment. Naruto knew something was off when Kakashi didn't conjure up a weak excuse.

"So… Are you really Kakashi-sensei or are you the clone!" Naruto demanded. The man before them blinked in surprise. After all, he hadn't really told them anything about the special bunshin or what to expect.

"Ah, no, no… I'm not a clone." It didn't work that way, Kakashi knew, but Naruto was too eager to set his sights on the additional team member he wanted to replicate. Beside Naruto, Sakura pursed her lips. She knew it was Kakashi from the start, but another question hovered in her mind.

"Don't tell me clone Kakashi-sensei is even more chronically late than the real one," she said sardonically.

"Actually, we won't be setting out with the fourth member. It's best we go our separate ways and my clone remains in secrecy. It can be used for back-up when we need it. But we really don't need it to reveal itself just yet." Naruto was the most disappointed, but his hunger to wrap his hands around Sasuke's neck soon overpowered the urge to see the special clone. Because of the secrecy of the mission, Team 7 did not leave from Konoha's main gates. It was a struggle to escape around the side perimeter without being noticed by the chunin guards, especially when Naruto could not suppress his wildly excited chakra signature.

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><p>An hour in, the team worked towards their target location; a small spot on the map far in the outskirts of Amegakure. Even though under the orders of the Lady Hokage they were to operate under the cover of absolute stealth, especially because they were dealing with the sensitive perimeter near the Hidden Rain Village, their current movements would be a dead give-away to any skilled shinobi in the area.<p>

Naruto's chakra signature was becoming something of a concern.

"Naruto! Cut it down, would you?" Sakura snapped, pushing some extra force into her jump to match his pace. The forest here was thick and dense—which mean she had to be even more cautious about leaves snagging in her pink hair or branches taking out her forehead (as if that wasn't a big enough target). It was an annoying mystery: why Naruto's wild chakra wouldn't shut the hell up.

"Huh?" He whipped his head towards her. The tension in his poised body surprised her.

"She's right. Naruto, now isn't the time to get worked up. If you make it that obvious we're going to attract some unwanted guests," affirmed a voice from behind her. Kakashi pulled forward as well.

Of course Naruto would be riled up over Sasuke, but that wasn't the only thing setting him off. It was hard enough to keep an eye on him—Naruto quickened his pace and grumbled something. Shortly afterwards Kakashi called on the team to take a short break in hopes that Naruto could control himself.

At the base of the trees, they set down their packs and learned against the trunks. Naruto excused himself cordially to "go take a leak". Sakura just sighed and watched his orange back retreat, fairly certain she knew the reason behind his odd actions.

"Kakashi-sensei, can I talk to you for a minute?"

The addressed Jounin perked up a little from the place against the trunk, disturbed from his own contemplative thoughts. His one visible eye rose to his ex-student. Even though their rank rose beyond genin, they never stopped tacking "sensei" to the end of his name.

"Sure," he replied, straightening. Sakura glanced behind her back and walked a little further into the woods, farther from the campsite. She felt him grow suspicious so she turned around to confront him. For some reason Tsunade's apprentice looked a little uncomfortable with her hands behind her back and her gaze focusing on the left shoulder of his flak jacket.

"Sensei… Is everything okay?" Kakashi cocked an eyebrow.

"Well…" he shoved his hands in his pockets, digging for meaning to the question. "Given the nature of the mission Naruto is anxious, but I'm sure he's going to be fine." Sakura snapped her eyes from that arbitrary spot.

"Oh, I know. That's not what I meant. I meant _you. _I can't help but notice that Naruto isn't the only one who's a little… you know." To her satisfaction, Kakashi looked taken aback by her observation. That must mean it was true. She blinked coolly as he pushed off against the trunk he leaned against and approached her with an eye-creased smile.

"You're quite skilled at observation, Sakura-chan. I'm fine, but thanks for asking." She hadn't expected a straight answer from him, and he never thought she would ask him something like that directly. Did students ever really worry about their invincible senseis? They grew up too fast—even this one.

She flashed a smile back, looking slightly embarrassed. It was interesting that she assumed Naruto would be fine, but actually asked him about _his_ feelings. He drew forward until he was almost towering over her—anything to give himself that edge of authority back. The look of concern on her face was almost degrading.

"And you, Sakura?" She hadn't even noticed that she backed into a tree as he approached, subconsciously intimidated… or something else by her ex-Sensei. Unfortunately this caused a color that rivaled her hair in pinkness to creep into her cheeks.

_Shit, _she thought. _Why does it have to be like this? He can't ever know! _

"I-I'm…."

Kakashi seemed unaware of why she was stuttering, and took it as a sign that there really _was _something wrong. He frowned and stared deeply into her own green eyes, as if trying to read her. But without the Sharingan, he would only be confused.

"So? What's wrong, Sakura?"

"No! I'm just fine!"

-Aside from the looming, nagging fact that somewhere over the course of the years, very confusing feelings were born in Sakura's heart. About Kakashi-sensei. Battling these little hints and feelings proved only to make them even more prominent in her mind. After talking to Ino about these weird feelings, the blonde helped her realize something terrible:

_"Sakura, you weirdo," she had said while an ominous smile unfurled on her lips, "You have a crush on Kakashi-sensei!". _Ever since then she had been fighting to prove herself wrong, and failing miserably.

But the object of her unwanted affection seemed satisfied with the given answer. At least she didn't _think _the elite Jounin suspected anything.

It nearly drove the breath from her chest when he placed a hand on the tree she was now backed up against on the side of her head. Not only did that close her in and prevent her from sidling away, but it brought them considerably closer.

"If you're sure. I can't have our medic losing focus on a mission like this." His smile faded and for a moment they stared at each other.

Then he sniffed the air from under the dark fabric of his mask.

"Someone's here."

Just a moment after, Naruto reappeared in their clearing with a guilty look washed over his whiskered face.

"I sense three of them. Scatter!" Kakashi was the first to disappear into the surrounding foliage. Naruto gave Sakura a reaffirming nod before darting off as well, leaving the medic to forge her own path. This was the agreed upon plan; with an enemy in small numbers that was probably attracted to Naruto's chakra signature, it was best to divide and conquer. If stealth was the objective and they did not want to draw attention to the object of their search, then they would take a minimalist attitude towards foreign enemies and even remove their Leaf headbands in battle.

Now the plan sprang into action.

Sakura whipped off her headband and jumped south west into the canopy. She racked her brain to decipher what enemies would want to attack them here. Naruto had a pretty price on his head, she knew, and his chakra was undeniably distinct—but a hunch told her it wasn't Naruto these guys were after.

A throwing star zipped by her line of vision; fight now, ask questions later.

Kakashi gained enough distance from the site to fight the hostile forces comfortably without running into the others. He smelled that there was one on his trail. He stopped suddenly on a branch and invited his opponent to square off with the Leaf Village's Copy Ninja.

"Reveal yourself."

A smudge or orange emerged from the shadow and Kakashi sighed.

"Hey!"

"You might want to warn me before doing that," the older man said, pushing a paper bomb back into his pouch. "What are you doing?"

"I sent three clones in the opposite direction but I thought I should tell you; there are definitely more than three of them. I was ambushed on the left said but by a group with Rain headbands. I don't know why they're attacking us but they aren't exactly push overs."

"Right," Kakashi said. They were about to head out when a figure presented itself in the branches above. They stiffened and scoped out his headhand; it _was_ a Rain Nin.

"Intruders… Come with us."

The blonde boy huffed and scolwed. He was sick of this. For a second he was very tense, thinking that they were targeting him.

"You idiot! We're Leaf—" Kakashi cut him off sharply. Since Naruto's meeting with the former leader of the Rain village, that had to count for something. "We're crossing the border," he told the man above them.

"Morons. No shinobi have permits to cross these borders. Our villages are in lock down and no one is allowed to pass." Naruto frowned; they weren't even that close to Rain territory, if not barely brushing the outskirts. The village would only be in lockdown if it were preparing for war. Obviously these guys wanted to wipe out any threats… or hijack their things. But who was controlling that land now?

Without any more words exchanged, deafening chirping noises filled his left ear. Chidori reared up to greet the unwanted visitor. The man just barely managed to avoid Kakashi's infamous attack, but four other nin emerged from the woods. It was time to take them out.

Within ten minutes each foreign shinobi was incapacitated. Naruto nailed the last one with an "Uzumaki Barrage" and landed heavily on the ground. Above him Kakashi perched in the branch.

"Um… Kakashi-sensei?" He looked down at the boy's confused expression. "My clones just returned. They said there were ten more guys, but when we found them they were already knocked out!"

"Ah… Yes. Then it's time for you to come out," he called into the air. Naruto stiffened, as the source of Kakashi's call was hidden. The white haired jounin dropped down to Naruto's level. In a flash, another figure appeared beside them, and it sent a shiver up and down Naruto's spine.

"Y-Y-_You're…. _" Slightly annoyed at Naruto's dumbfounded-ness, Kakashi explained.

"Yes. This is the special time-sealed clone. Are you surprised?" Naruto's eyes widened and he stared at Kakashi's clone. It may have just about matched him in height, but the look on his face was the opposite of Naruto's confused one. He crossed his arms.

"S-Sensei…"

"What is it, Naruto?" Kakashi asked, exasperated.

"Where is Sakura-chan?"

That Kakashi was losing it, because either there were more than three enemies against them or all three Rain nin decided that _she _was the biggest threat of the group. Pink hair could be menacing, no? And Sakura tried her hardest to prove them right. Each time they alighted on a branch ahead she just reduced the whole tree to splinters, and whipped kunai from her fingers to catch their fall.

_Where the hell are the others? _Sakura thought frantically, because juggling the three was proving unsustainable. Seconds later two distinct chakra signatures flared in her vicinity. possibly trying to send a warning out to the enemies in their way. So Naruto and Kakashi were close…

Someone materialized from right behind her—a camouflage jutsu. She reversed her dodge to face the assailant as he sent a kunai directly at her. It was too simple—she cocked her head towards the sky in time to catch the lob of minute senbon showering down on her. Dirty guy—he must have launched those in his hidden form.

Tsunade taught her to dodge attacks and Sakura internalized that skill—but there was no way she could evade what she couldn't see. Some other kind of blade thrown by another foe in the ranks clipped the back of her knee. The sting was terrible, but her attempt at a landing was even worse.

The pink bird had to come out of the air sometime.

Sakura swore and shoved out a sandaled foot to catch herself on the closest branch, but with no time to think she used the injured right leg. It buckled instantly and she slipped on the tree. On her way down another knife ripped through her side. It was a long way down, and the girl could not think of any way to defy gravity.

She reached out hopelessly when a smudge of blonde hair colored her peripheries in the distance. _Great. _Two personal witnesses would watch the price she paid for not being fast enough. Kakashi and Naruto couldn't help this time, and Sakura's pride told her she'd rather take the fall than endure their protective help.

Even with the wind rushing through her ears and the silence of too-far-away teammates not rushing to recover her, Sakura had the cognitive ability to deduce that the damage taken during this fall could potentially handicap her kunoichi career. Some kind of frightened, feral cry tore from Naruto's mouth and Kakashi didn't move. If Sakura continued to fall until the landing, her neck would like snap and leave her paralyzed on the cold forest floor.

The kunoichi just closed her eyes.

With a soft thud, she landed. She landed in somebody's arms. Her eyes snapped open—suspecting the unpredictable orange ninja to be the one who rescued her from such a bind. There was nothing orange about this boy.

"Um!" She jerked upwards, but still held fast bridal-style in this stranger's grip. One dark eye peered down at her coolly before shifting her upright and placing her on her own two feet.

"Are you okay?" he asked hurriedly. The boy was taller than her and had a mess of disheveled white hair splaying over his headband and forehead. He wore dark clothing with two straps criss-crossing over the front and meeting at the sheath by his side.

"I…." The time for a response faltered but the tall young man did not. He crouched and swiveled to the side on his sandaled heel before disappearing with a lightning-quick movement. It seemed he had unfinished business. Moments later the harsh padding of feet running up to meet her snapped the girl from her daze.

"Sakura-chan! Are you alright! We couldn't get to you on time!" Turning her green eyes on the sparkling, concerned blue orbs Naruto used to stare her down, she kind of just shrugged. Kakashi-Sensei joined them, too, a curious look in his eye as if he were waiting for her response. Sakura brushed away the blood that trickled from her side and shoulder from the assault.

"The opponents fled," Kakashi remarked, eyeing the surrounding area. But Naruto couldn't help but glue his eyes only on their injured teammate and wondered why she lowered her head.

"Sakura, are you blushing?" As if he intruded on something private, she suddenly perked up and delivered a fist onto his big head.

"No, baka! I'm fine. But did you that? Did you see him?" Naruto took a second from nursing his head to register what the hell she was talking about.

"Huh? Who? Oh, that guy?" She nodded fervently, a fist crushed to her chest and a strange sparkle in her eye that Naruto couldn't remember seeing since their Genin days. What was this? Some kind of school girl giddiness?"

"Yes! The boy who caught me? Didn't you see him? He must have been really skilled… He came out in a flash… I mean, did you see how fast he was? He was…" her cheeks grew a little pinker as she confessed this to the air… "really_ cute_, right…?"'

Naruto's jaw nearly hit the floor and every hair on his body stood on end. A visible shiver crept up his skin as the shot-headed ninja whipped his head from Kakashi to Sakura in rapid succession. Forget the fact that the kid had a mask! Didn't Sakura realize with the hair, the posture, the skill…

Naruto thrust a finger in Sakura's direction as she scowled at the horrified expression on his face.

"Sakura-chan! Don't you know that's Kakashi-sensei!" She was about to retort an insult andpoint out that Kakashi-Sensei was actually standing behind him and rubbing the back of his head in a weird gesture, when Naruto supplemented that line with more information. "That's the special clone! Like—kid Kakashi!"

Her fist, formerly raised in the air and ready to strike, sank as low as she currently felt. A heavy, awkward silence stretched through the air the realization registered.

Sakura just admitted to crushing on Kakashi, in his younger years. The deepest scarlet color lined her face.

"What! No one told me… Where? Who? Where were you guys?" she sputtered and demanded, hastily stashing the situation behind her. Naruto wasn't quite over the shock but Kakashi just emitted a light-hearted chuckle, and debriefed the situation.

Enough time did not exist to stumble on that oddity-there were real problems ahead.

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><p><strong>Review please!<br>**


	3. Kid Kakashi

**Sorry for the slight wait! I was so completely swamped with work. Anyways, please enjoy the update. There is less action in this one... But I hope you still find it interesting. Pleeease review! Let me know what you think.**

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><p><strong>Chapter Three: Kid-Kakashi<strong>

"The border must be even more secured if there are shinobi from the Rain village patrolling and attacking this far from the border," Kakashi told them. "After Pein's defeat, it's rumored the village was left leaderless despite the surviving comrade he left behind. There could be another civil war going on. We have no way of telling, or understanding why Sasuke would be there."

Kakashi was only slightly surprised when neither of his former students recoiled at the name. Actually, both seemed heavily distracted and it likely had to do with his clone. He really had no desire to pull it out or show it off to the team, but from here on out he couldn't control its actions.

"Honestly it seems too dangerous to go there, so why would Sasuke-kun…" began Sakura. She had already begun healing her wounds. They were minor, but judging from the locations Kakashi knew they stung like a bitch. Naruto was shaking his head.

"But Granny said there was a sighting!"

"What if it's a diversion?" Sakura said. ""It seems too convenient…"

"My suspicions have grown as well," Kakashi agreed, but because Naruto could explode with protest he continued, "but we won't know until we look for ourselves." The blonde looked satisfied with at least _that_ answer. Just when they decided on those plans, a rustling in the bushes sent Naruto three feet into the air and Sakura into a hostile defensive stance.

Kakashi didn't move.

Well, not the old Kakashi: the same familiar, silver-haired boy from before stalked out of the bushes, twiddling a kunai in one of his glove-free fingertips.

"They're all taken care of," said a low but youthful voice in a serious tone. If Kakashi could mop the looked of shock of Naruto and Sakura's face, he would; as if this wasn't odd enough for him.

"S-S-So that's…" A cream colored finger poked in the younger Kakashi's direction. Words died in Sakura's throat as she scanned this boy up and down.

Yep, that was definitely a younger version of Kakashi—how didn't she notice it before? Every trademark characteristic from the odd white hair to the headband-covered eye was a match, although now some of that unruly hair spilled over his forehead in thick thatches. The attire was understandably different—thick arm guards covered his forearms and he didn't dawn a jonin flak jacket. In fact, the vest he wore looked similar to that of ANBU.

"KID KAKASHI!" Naruto roared in amusement behind her. Kid Kakashi did not look an eighth as friendly and lethargic as adult Kakashi.

"Sensei, so this is your clone. Does that mean you sealed it when you were only…"

"About your ages. It was the opportune time and since it's been stored away for over ten years, the life of the clone will had extended to about fourteen or so days," Kakashi explained, eyeing his younger self with a mixed expression. Admittedly, Kakashi thought his clone unwittingly served as an unwelcome reminder of his climbing age.

"Only fourteen days!" Naruto cried, breaking him out the dismal reverie.

"That's not surprising. It's an incredibly rare kind of clone, Naruto," Sakura said, but her green eyes rested on her sensei's younger self. She stiffened when he, the _clone, _approached the trio. More specifically, he approached _her!_

"So you're alright?" he asked in a tone that made her wonder whether he was really concerned or not. The others noticed that it took her a moment to speak, still struck by the oddity of the situation. In the end she nodded a little too cheerfully.

"Yes! Of course! Thanks!" Kid-Kakashi looked at her strangely and crossed his arms.

"You took all of the rest down by yourself? Huh. No wonder why Granny wanted you on our team," Naruto huffed, knowing the clone probably wouldn't really understand any references to current events or people. Although he had accomplished such a feat, it was impossible not to notice the scratches and wounds covering the clone—signs of recklessness? He remembered what Sakura had said earlier: although the special clone had a life span, it was still affected by physical health.

"Here. Let me heal you," Sakura offered. "It can't hurt, but those wounds look like they do." The young clone looked surprised at the mention of her ability to heal when she beckoned him forward.

"It's alright," confirmed the elder Kakashi. "Sakura is a medic." With narrowed blue eyes, Kakashi's male student watched the clone concede to Sakura's aid. The corner of his mouth twitched with anticipation.

"You know, this is going to get confusing," said Naruto suddenly. "Kakashi-sensei is Kakashi-sensei but what do we call _him?" _For some innate reason emphasized by the way Naruto spoke, it was clear that he didn't really like this clone. Something about the young Kakashi's posture and tone reminded him of a certain arrogant Uchihua…

"Uh—" before he let his sensei speak he cut him off.

"Alright, I'm calling him kid-Kakashi," Naruto declared definitively.

"So you think I'm a kid?" Naruto's "Kid-Kakashi" said stonily, glaring at his future blonde student.

"How about we just call you Kakashi, and Sensei is Kakashi-sensei like normal. Is that okay?" Sakura asked, lifting her gaze to the adult Kakashi.

_But… I'm still Kakashi,_ the real Kakashi thought dismally before nodding anyways. …Just another reason he wanted to separate from this clone, which seemed to be taking advantage of Sakura's medic abilities. He held out every single scratch and tear to be healed by her, as if he deserved to look perfectly unmarked.

"Ne, Ne, Kakashi-Sensei? Is Kakashi here a chunin like us?"

"You could just ask me," interrupted kid-Kakashi. "As if I was a chunin _like you. _I've been a jounin since I was 13." Sakura's eyebrows shot up. She finished healing him and gave him a pat on the back. Man, was it weird to touch Kakashi so casually, even if he was in the form of his handsome younger—

Wait, was it okay to call Kakashi cute if he was 16? Forget it! She was never to think that way of him! As if thoughts like that about the real jounin weren't disturbing enough…

_Huh, thirteen… Damn was Kakashi-sensei strong. And arrogant. How much can I get out of this kid? _Naruto thought snidely, crossing his arms and evaluating. He knew from his own clone expertise that the copies retained the mirror personality of their owner, and also retained a sense of ownership over their own actions. However, they always followed orders of the original—seeing as it would be in their best interest anyways. The clone was the original, just temporary. But this one seemed different. Not only was this copy so far outdated, but somehow the original Kakashi must have less control over the younger copy, especially because of the gap in their identities. Kid-Kakashi wouldn't always know how to respond in the same way elder Kakashi would, given their experiences… Right?

Now his brain hurt tremendously.

"Let's finish up and make progress before nightfall. I have a feeling we don't want to stay in this area for long," Kakashi said to the three (yes, _three_) and leapt upwards, disappearing overheard. Naruto followed suit.

Sakura dug her heels into the ground, readying to push off when a hand grasped her elbow. She whipped her head to the source—

"Thank you for the healing," young Kakashi said evenly, eyes resting on her on. Somehow her breath caught in her throat, but she needn't have replied. He bounded upwards in one fluid motion before she could say "you're welcome".

_This is just weird, _Sakura thought before joining the rest.

* * *

><p>After a long stretch of silent ground-gaining, Kakashi ordered that they set up camp to cap off that eventful evening. Sakura and Naruto were both reluctant to quit the chase, but as Kakashi pointed out they would be in no condition to confront Sasuke if they were energy depleted (though he wouldn't admit his own body itched to continue on as well). By this time the forest melted into a medley of both greens and jagged, rocky cliff, so it made sense to stop at a clearing that provided a ledge above for shelter from the elements. Overhead a gray, dismal hue claimed the sky as if to signal their proximity to Ame.<p>

Mind heavy, Naruto began to unfurl the sleeping bags. In the corner of his eye, Kakashi's special clone disbanded to retrieve wood to stoke the fire. Real Kakashi—well he just withdrew a little red book that sucked him out of investing in any kind of work. Even Sakura was busy figuring out which rations to cook.

She hovered by the wood pit sheltered by an extended cliff, appearing deep in thought. The kunoichi lifted her gaze when Naruto approached, an odd expression on his scrunched-up face. Automatically her eyes narrowed; his subtle irritation was contagious, just like most of his other emotions.

"What's your problem?" she asked none too kindly. The blonde in question threw his hands behind his head. Once he was sure that Kakashi perked up at Sakura's accusing voice, he voiced the thought:

"Heh? I was wondering about Kakashi-sensei." He turned to the side. "I mean now that he's a kid and all it makes you wonder about him. Hey, hey Sensei! What were your teammates like?" On the surface, Sakura blinked coolly.

Under normal circumstances, the remnants of team 7 would admit that they knew next to nothing about their own teacher (which meant they probably knew more than most). In no way did they expect the white haired jounin to oblige the question—Heck, even on their first meeting he never divulged more than his own name even while he stripped their goals, likes, and dislikes from them. But under this atypical circumstance….

Hidden threat lined Naruto's words. Because if big-Kakashi wouldn't answer any personal questions, it likely would take less effort to goad some intel out the smaller one, right?

_Hell yeah, Naruto! _Sakura cheered inwardly, despite her outer disapproval of such a probing question. The Eternally hip Copy Nin didn't miss a beat.

"Hm? Did you say something?"

_Don't give up, Naruto!_

"Your teammates! Did you get along?"

"Ah… well. Sometimes teammates get along and sometimes…" He actually looked over the top of his book to glimpse pointedly at his pair of ex-students "… they don't." Naruto crossed his arms and Sakura pouted behind him. But then, to Naruto's satisfaction, an authentic artifact of the past marched back into the campsite and interceded in his quest for knowledge.

"My teammates?" A voice called. Naruto whirled around on kid-Kakashi, whose sheathed arms carried the last pile of wood for the fire. The elder Kakashi stiffened when the new addition came forth. Naruto couldn't help but drink in the look of utter nostalgia wiped all over young Kakashi's masked face—evident even through the fabric.

"Yeah! What were they like? I wanna know," Naruto drawled with large, innocent eyes. His gleaming eyes only grew larger in fervent suspense as kid-Kakashi put a finger on his chin and appeared to be contemplating. Finally he cocked his head to the side and opened his mouth…

"Well, that's none your business."

Sakura blanched and recoiled. Tense electricity cackled through the air as Naruto jut out a finger dangerously close to kid Kakashi's chest.

"What! Wise guy…! You don't have to be rude about it!" Sakura leapt out of her crouching position by the fire.

"Naruto what are you saying? That's Kakashi-sensei!"

"Heh! He's not my sensei _yet,_" Naruto said with a smirk while she looked on helplessly confused and anxious. His blue eyes stared daggers into the dark ones across from him, which seemed to absorb the hostile intent seamlessly. The boy in front of him lifted his arm and wrapped his fingers around Naruto's pointed one.

"If you don't have the competence and skill to match your big mouth, I'd be careful who you're talking to." Before Naruto could react Kakashi jerked away his hand, keeping his grip on Naruto's finger. Caught by surprise, Naruto couldn't regain his balance before Kakashi pulled with chakra enhanced strength and spun him off to the side like a children's dradle. With a lot of fuss and noise, Naruto collided into the nearest bush.

"TEME!" screamed an outraged voice in the bushes.

Sakura, barely stifling a giggle, called out "K-Kakashi-_sensei?"_

The taller of the two Kakashi's still had his face buried in an orange book. He was unnaturally still and it was just noticeable the way his fingers grasped the book as if it could fall to pieces at any moment. But, when his voice answered, it was as careless as usual.

"Hn?"

"You were kind of a jerk, you know."

Amid the squabbling of the boys in the background, Sakura secretly resolved to uncover some of Kakashi's secrets, too.

Sometime later, after Kakashi put an end to squabbling between his younger counterpart and student, the team gathered around the fire to fill their stomachs before getting some rest. The blonde boy was scarfing down the meager food inhumanely fast (it was just ramen) and the pink haired girl berated him.

"You're going to throw up, Naruto. It's not healthy to eat like that," she was chastising, waving a chopstick in the air. Her friend then retorted something barely audible, some jumble of words choked through a mouth full of wet noodles. It sounded like he was just boasting about how he didn't need to look out for his health, anyways Sakura-chan, so don't worry. After all he was going to be Hokage one day. He was great and he didn't have to worry about a killer-noodle—

And then he began choking and sputtering on the food he inhaled too quickly. Instead of helping Sakura just clocked him on the head and the jounin Kakashi calmly ignored it all.

He couldn't resist when he watched the scene; he had to say, "You know, you guys really are a lot like Obito and Rin. So that's how it plays out…"

Both Sakura and Naruto froze, rounding on kid-Kakashi and his surprising words. Kakashi-sensei took this distraction as the opportune moment to finish his food, although there was no doubt his ears picked apart the sensitive words. It was a great liability to have a clone that he could not truly control.

"Who's Rin?" Sakura asked a little too quickly. Naruto shot her a confused look and echoed her sentiment:

"Who are they?"

Kid-Kakashi narrowed his eyes and leaned back from where he fell cross-legged on the ground. "Huh. They were my teammates. You're reminding me of them. You notice it, don't you?" He asked.

Kakashi peeked over his book with a lazy eyes and answered, "Sometimes. But it's less so than you think." _Especially since they've grown, _he added with an afterthought; though he tried to think of what they would be like had they had the chance to grow… Like him.

"Hey! You-! I thought you didn't want to talk about it!" Naruto ground out. The Uzumaki and Hatake hadn't been on good terms since the bush incident. "I'm not like anyone you know, anyways. I wouldn't be friends with someone like you!"

"Naruto, you _are _friends with him!" Sakura pointed out, exasperated.

"Oh…"

"Trust me, you're like… Obito…" Naruto leaned over, a sour expression still marking his whiskered face. The kid certainly acted like that deceased Uchihua at times, but undoubtedly he _resembled…_

"Fine," Kakashi said. "I'll tell you why you remind me of him."

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><p><strong>Clifffy. Heh. If you review, I am almost more motivated to write. Review!<strong>


	4. Transference

**A/N: **Sorry it took a long update. I'm not kidding when I say I've been writing and touching this up every other day, but literally have not had the spare few seconds to actually put this out. Though the lack of reviews aren't too encouraging, either...

I have to address this concern by a nice reviewer: Someone is horribly afraid this is going to turn in a Sakura x Kakashi's younger clone and not develop a romance between the grown Kakashi. **Not so. **This fic and KakaSaku in it's original form, but I'm not diving right into anything or giving too much away. That said, fair warning that there's quite a bit of Team 7 meshed into this so this chapter particularly takes away from that focus. I promise it will come back with a bang.

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><p><strong>Chapter 4: Transference<strong>

Was this really happening? A beam of heavenly light might as well have descended from the sky to bathe the surreal scene before them. Naruto's teeth ground together in anticipation; in this long awaited moment, kid-Kakashi was about to reveal a sliver of the past to his future students. The blonde hung on to every word that flowed through the fabric of his navy mask.

"I can see Obito in you because you ramble, you're loud and I have a feeling you really care about your friend. If he were still… alive—"

"That's enough. Naruto, Sakura, you can go to bed since I'm taking the first watch," jounin Kakashi stated abruptly. The beam of light extinguished and left dark dust in those unfinished words; yet there was an air of finality in Kakashi's tone. The female member of the team bit her lip—they had been _so _close, but she also felt sympathy for her ex-sensei. Next to her, Naruto wore a deep scowl—clearly resenting the uncharacteristically harsh order. Uzumaki Naruto did not have a bedtime.

But even the jinchuriki, on very rare occasions, knew when to quit prying. The team disbanded to climb into their sleeping bags. The only thing heavier than Sakura's tired eyelids was her mind.

_Who is Sensei's Rin? Am I really like her?_

* * *

><p>Due to Kakashi's precautions and insistence in taking the back way to Ame, in another day they fell short of reaching their destination. Evening swooped down quicker than Sakura's weary mood, but relief was sure to come. It manifested in the form of a promising shelter from the pouring rain.<p>

Team 7, old and new, was fully confident that this cabin was abandoned; any civilian outside would have bypassed the shack completely. Moss and fungal growths covered its' wooden frame so that it mostly blended into the green area and arboreal scene that surrounded it. For a group of ninja, it was the perfect place to set up provisions and regroup.

"Clear," Sakura called from one room of the surprisingly spacious place. This must be the kitchen. Her hungry hands pried open the cabinets, but her heart expected nothing. The girl's eyes widened when rows of boxes and canned food met her unsure gaze.

"Clear!" called Naruto's voice from somewhere else. "There are sheets on these beds! There's two bedrooms!"

"There's food in these cabinets!" She answered back, even more elated; the discovery drew a crowd in the small kitchen. The grown up Kakashi was the first to appear, lazily scanning the cabinets above her pink head.

"Whoever stayed here left in a hurry," she hummed, trying to ignore that fact that Kakashi was practically leaning over her. More recently she became hypersensitive to the proximity between them, though she wasn't sure why. Her tendency to over-read things wasn't always a plus. She hardly noticed when Naruto and young Kakashi popped in the room as well.

"Or they were forced to leave," Kakashi concluded, casually tacking on to Sakura's assumption.

Young Kakashi had an interpretation of his own. "Or they lived alone and whoever left was assassinated while out, leaving no living relatives to recover the house," he said.

A silent, dismal moment passed.

Naruto took that moment to reflect on his least favorite person in the room. His opinion of the silver-haired boy near him really wasn't improving, even if he would grow up into the beloved and annoying sensei he knew. But right now, there wasn't a grain of similarity that wasn't physical between them.

_Does he have to ruin it? _he huffed inwardly.

"So, is it right to eat this stuff?" asked the blonde. Kid Kakashi retrieved a box from the cabinet.

"Who else is going to eat it? The owner's dead."

"You don't know that! Jeez, you're a pessimist," Naruto argued. It looked like the silver haired boy wanted to retort, but something refrained him from doing so. Naruto glared knowingly because he _wanted _him to bite back, just to relish the opportunity of wiping that know-it-all smile off of his face. The grudge from earlier never melted.

The elder Copy Nin merely shrugged and suggested that they take only to replenish their rations, knowing full well his ex-students would use that order _very _liberally. He wouldn't complain. He shoved himself deeper into the kitchen, putting a little distance in between his clone and his hot-headed student. Because If Naruto hoped the broiling tension between them was invisible to the others, he was mistaken.

Later Naruto realized that they longer they stayed here, the more restless he felt. It wasn't until his chopsticks cracked into two did become aware of the tension in his own body. Seated on the bare floor of the common room with food spread around them, the sharp _snap _was audible among the quiet. Only Sakura and Kakashi's clone kept him company. The Jounin, unsurprisingly, was missing from the scene.

"Hm?" Sakura prompted, pink hair framing her face as she snapped her head in his direction. "What's wrong?" Naruto shook his head, because he was never adept at putting his most pressing feelings into words upon Sakura's request.

"I don't know why we're here, it feels like a waste of time when _he's _out here." Immediately Sakura's expression softened; she shared his anxiousness but held on to the orders they were given with trust. Rushing head-first to the front-lines, into a possible trap, would be foolish! This time around, she would make sure that _no one_ would get hurt because of Sasuke this time. Every one of their lives was precious, no longer below Sasuke's in her emerald colored eyes.

"You know, those who abandon their comrades are scum," injected Kakashi's clone from his distance opposite of the other boy. He was sitting closer to Sakura (something she acutely noticed, and berated herself for noticing in the first place). Naruto raised his eyes, a glint of approval swishing in the blue orbs. So Kakashi had that philosophy in his youth, too?

And in a fashion that would have made Sai proud, Kakashi said a little too much—"Your Sasuke obviously never listened to me, hm?"

"What are you saying about him?" Naruto did not share his father's title of the Yellow Flash, but in an instant he was on his feet. He didn't care that the clone's expression was of calm confusion, and he didn't care that Sakura looked positively alarmed.

"Why don't you relax? I just suggested that—"

"Shut up!" His fists were balled tightly, but a Rasengan could have exploded from his hand. "How could you be so cold? You're arrogant, cold, and! And-!" Once he took a step closer, adding physical threat to his lashing words, the clone sprang to his feet.

Sakura couldn't remember seeing Naruto so angered by trivial comments in such a long time. Her voice wouldn't break through that bitter anger he held inside, would it?

"Face the truth." She winced at Kakashi's cold words.

"I'm going to beat you!"

_Naruto, don't…._

"Shut up, dobe."

That sounded so familiar.

Naruto exploded and charged at Kakashi fiercely. Sakura's breath hitched in her dry throat. It wasn't supposed to be like this… How could they even save Sasuke if they couldn't be a team? Why was everyone hurt and fightiing?

"_Stop!"_ Sakura cried out, but her speed wouldn't deliver her in time to stop the explosion of tempers and fists. Naruto grabbed the front of Kakashi's shirt and raised and arm. Sakura's vision blurred, heart burning with a familiar feeling of helplessness that claimed her last time something like this happened. Why did they have to—

"Stop!" That familiar but urgent voice of authority commanded the attention of everyone in the room. Sakura always winced when he sounded that way—that tone was usually reserved for the Copy Nin's enemies. However, the voice barely deterred Naruto, who was frozen in the act of aggressing their temporary teammate.

With clenched teeth, he slowly released the fabric of young Kakashi's shirt. The clone himself looked relatively unperturbed, but Sakura could feel the hostility in his chakra. Finally, the two boys were separated.

Sakura looked to the door of the room; the Jounin Kakashi stood with a lone eye focused on Naruto. He had stripped off his regular flap jacket, and probably caught off-guard by the raised voices in the room over. She sighed.

"Naruto, I'd like a word with you," Kakashi said, the harshness in his voice dropping. The blonde whipped his head in his former sensei's direction, still visibly aggravated. Sakura silently watched him follow wordlessly into another room.

* * *

><p>In the heart of this bare wooden room, lit only by the fading sunlight filtering in from the sliding glass doors, Kakashi Hatake contemplated over how to confront his student.<p>

"Naruto," he began calmly. His eyes connected with the whiskered boy's steely blues opposite from him. He didn't like to do this. "I'm not Sasuke."

Naruto's eyes widened for a fraction of a second at the statement. He stressed again: "My_ clone _is not Sasuke."

The blatant reference to Naruto's treatment and interactions with the clone was clear. In fact, Kakashi just _knew _that his theory of identity transference was correct. He saw through the situation, and he didn't even need the Sharingan. The blonde just averted his gaze to the panel on the wooden floor and grit his teeth.

"I know that," he acknowledged.

Kakashi frowned. He hypothesized that's anger stemmed from his real anger at Sasuke, whom his younger self reminded him of. But now… Something into his young student's voice made him less sure. The persistent aggravation may have had deeper roots than it appeared on the surface. Kakashi considered that when…

"It's why you focused so much on him, isn't it?"

It was Kakashi's turn to feign surprise.

"What do you mean?"

"You were like Sasuke… Is that why you chose to focus so much on him? He reminded you of yourself…" It wasn't just semblance to Sasuke that had provoked his anger.

"Naruto… no. That's not it."

"Then why do you hate me?"

"What?" Genuine shock.

"I'm not that blind. Why does your clone hate me? I can't tell by the way he acts."

It was silly underestimation for Kakashi to believe Naruto to not notice the reciprocal dislike that his clone projected onto the jinchuriki. Similarly, Kakashi himself tried to ignore it and turn away from the dynamics that were ruining his team. In truth, he hated the standing of his clone;

The clone represented a rough period in the jounin's life rivaling two of the other most upsetting deaths that turned him sour and cold. It was true that after Obito's sacrifice, Kakashi lightened up and changed his ninja way.

And then a year later the Nine tails obliterated the people of the Leaf and took away Minato-sensei. Kakashi couldn't admit it to himself, because it was one of his least favorite years to look back on. Most of it was a blank slate, a blur of adrenaline.

He remembered the minimal grief that washed over his already stony heart; he should have been proud and happy that the Fourth would sacrifice himself to save the village—and him. But all he could really remember was anger and hatred.

He was_ so _angry at Sensei for abandoning him. He _hated _him for leaving, just like everyone else. How could he die on him, too? It was the most selfish kind of upset, and so it turned his anger inward. Kakash joined ANBU, where that anger was put to precise use. But he hadn't predicted the cost ANBU would have on his body and mind—the stress coupled under working with the Black Ops and the betrayal he felt by Minato-sensei scarred that age of his life.

It was entirely plausible that kid-Kakashi saw both Obito's loyalty reflected in Naruto's demeanor, but the Fourth's likeness in his appearance. The ghosts of the pasts strangled him. It took that painful realization to break him out of the silent, regretful trance.

None of that burden would fall on Naruto, Kakashi would make sure of it.

"My clone told you about Obito… Well, he was my rival. It's just a rivalry thing," he half-lied cheerfully. Naruto's eyes widened. They were more connected than he originally thought. A lopsided smirk grazed his whiskered face at the explanation, even if he suspected that Kakashi hid his most private explanations.

"Kakashi-Sensei… How could you be just like him?"

_Like Sasuke? _Naruto voice feigned a playful betrayal. Kakashi couldn't help it. A light-heated chuckle filled the room and Naruto flinched as a gloved hand planted it's palm on his head. His mentor didn't have a response to the question, so he just ruffled his hair instead.

* * *

><p>Even though Kakashi had pulled Naruto into that room for a talk, Sakura felt responsible for the events that transpired as well. The well-being of her teammates, mental and physical, she felt was her duty as a medic and obligation as a friend. She knew Naruto's temper would fade into determination, but Kakashi…<p>

Sakura knew it must be hard for him.

Speaking of, she hardly noticed when the screen door opened and close with a soft click, and another presence joined her on the edge of the back porch.

"I'm sorry if that upset you," said a gentle voice. The pinkette raised her eyebrows and side-glanced the guest. Young Kakashi again. His appearance never ceased to shock her.

She wasn't mad at him.

"It's not your fault. We're all touchy and anxious because of this mission." She blamed the mission's ambivalent objective for that, but of course the kunoichi wouldn't admit that Kakashi's clone himself caused an imbalance. For Sakura, reconciling her embarrassing feelings was confusing enough. "But… I have a question."

She really looked at him now. Before, fear prevented her from really examining the clone Kakashi. It was too weird.

God, he was so _young. _She could see that, despite the mask, he never lost that boyish handsomeness. He had a sharp but narrow jaw line, a lazy gaze, and a great unruly mess of silver hair. Curiously enough, the light in his eyes didn't look as youthful as his appearance. It also stuck the keen kunoichi that the infamous mask still claimed it's place, covering his mysterious face.

When he turned that one eye on her, a jolt rocked her chest. Suddenly she was embarrassed. "Um.. well," she shifted, uncomfortable. "You said I was like someone called Rin. Who is she?" She wasn't surprised when Kakashi turned his silvery head and glanced at the back door feverishly; even he sensed it; Sakura wouldn't ask Kakashi-sensei herself. But what could she mill from him, who was much more open to her?

It wasn't _only_ selfish curiosity; the pink haired pupil truly desired to understand the jounin she humbly admired.

But even more than that, it was just selfish curiosity.

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><p><strong>Review please and thanks!<strong>


	5. See You

Thanks for the reviews! Please keep it up, I appreciate it. I've been getting some really thoughtful ones.

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><p><strong>Chapter 5: <strong>**See You**

_When he turned that one eye on her, a jolt rocked her chest. Suddenly she was embarrassed. "Um... well," she shifted uncomfortably. "You said I was like someone called Rin. Who is she?" The girl watched his face eagerly for signs of invasion, cues that she had crossed a line. Instead, a pure look of nostalgia swept over his face. The Kakashi before her turned his gaze outwards, towards the woods at a point she couldn't see._

* * *

><p>"<em>Rin.<em> She was a teammate of mine." This didn't surprise Sakura. At some point or another she gained the dismal knowledge that Kakashi-sensei's closest friends and relatives were… "She's dead."

Knowing the words before they struck her ears didn't stop the clenching, hollow feeling from seeping into her breast. Sakura looked down, almost ashamed for asking. It was silly. This Kakashi may be an outdated shadow of a man, but the silent conviction in his tone was real. These events were _real._

"I'm sorry," she offered, humble.

The young jounin didn't seem as perturbed. "She was a medical ninja, like you. She cared a lot about me, and Obito. She was always concerned when we didn't get alone. She had short hair, too…" Everyone word was touched with an edge of regret, even if he wasn't aware.

His future student could hardly believe that he shared this information with her. Even if she employed Ibiki's full interrogation squad, Sakura doubted she could extract this much from the real Kakashi simply by asking in a casual setting. His opening up likely had to do with the fact that he was reminiscing about an old teammate, one he saw reflected in her face. When he commented about the short hair, Sakura wondered how alike she and Rin really were. After all, this new Kakashi couldn't know more about Sakura than what the real Kakashi told him.

And the short hair was fairly new. If one day Kakashi-sensei could reveal these things himself, she might understand more.

"Thank you for explaining that to me," Sakura said quietly, plastering a gentle smile on her face. Kakashi turned his gaze back to her. It was sharp this time.

Ever so bluntly, he said, "It was bothering you, wasn't it?"

The girl froze.

_Damn! _Sakura was a _kunoichi_, she wasn't supposed to be that readable! But Kakashi had read her as easily as the little orange book he would soon grow to love. Sakura did what a trained shinobi would do, hoping she didn't seem as flustered as she felt.

She smiled wider and shook her head. "Of course not," she lied.

_Don't ne nervous, _she chided herself. She couldn't let this clone dig any deeper into her hidden feelings, even if she planned on going after his with a chakra-infused pick-axe. When he smiled back, a little part of the medic melted. It was all in the eyes. _Real _Kakashi hardly ever had a smile that genuine reserved for his only female student.

_Damn it, Sakura, leave before you turn into a puddle! _With that resolve, Sakura rose to her feet and excused herself, praying that adult Kakashi patched things up with Naruto. Once inside she reached into her soul and found Sai's guidance, so that she could wear a blank expression on her guilty face.

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><p>Nothing was around here, and given the strange circumstances, a certain pink haired kunoichi decided against upholding her current diet. With all her learned stealth, she bee-lined for the kitchen to eat away the awkward feelings. Ino would have so much to say about that.<p>

"Yo."

Sakura only avoided jumping out of her skin by pulsing some chakra through her body. It rooted her to the ground. Glancing upward she saw a familiar silver haired jounin coming from that other room.

"Kakashi-sensei!" Sakura didn't hide her sudden discomfort well. Besides, after years of erratic supervision, Kakashi's eye could see through more than just his student's hand signs.

"Did I… say something to upset you too?" he asked, exasperation lined in that smooth voice. Sensing her hesitance, he added, "I won't tell."

The drip of amusement in that tone ticked her off. Tsunade's smarting temper reared in her. While she battled with her cheeks to contain a blush, Kakashi was acting like everything was so easy! The kunoichi knew she couldn't jar him with her fists, but she knocked the wind out of him this way.

"Well, _sensei_, you told me that I was the prettiest and strongest girl you've ever seen," the kunoichi replied seamlessly.

The ultimate revenge for the nerves Kakashi caused Sakura in the past weeks came in full effect when shock was etched in his visible eye. Sakura swore on the Hokages' monuments that a color the hue of her hair crept up above his mask.

"I said…"

_Can't "poof" away when there's nowhere to go, right Sensei? _Sakura couldn't help but giggle; he was still taken aback. She didn't let him recover before making an amendment.

"Just kidding Sensei. You didn't say that. But most people do," she sang and stuck out her tongue playfully. Mirth danced on her face but internally she was petrified of his reaction. Play it cool. She skipped off in search of that kitchen; life was too short to worry about dieting and Kakashi's reaction.

The Jounin was left alone with his hands buried in his pockets.

_Is she mad at me?_ Sakura did seem to be acting hot and cold lately, but he couldn't figure out if it was a hunch or his eye getting rusty. That Sasuke made everyone act weird.

* * *

><p>"Are we ready to go?" asked the feminine voice.<p>

"Can we leave when the rain clears up?" answered another. Sakura smiled at the paradoxical joke. Naruto's lightened mood lifted everyone's spirits. With morale renewed, the Team left the temporary lodge.

"Did you leave any traces behind?" Kakashi asked Sakura. The Joinin had unwittingly tailed Naruto during their stay, discarding any crumbs and repairing the damages the obnoxious teen left in his wake. He knew himself well enough to assume his clone had followed protocol. And asking Sakura—well, that was only a precaution.

"No," she answered without so much as a sparing glance. She leapt forwarded into the trees until even the shadow of her figure disappeared. Once out of ear shot, Kakashi frowned.

"What did you say to her?" he asked his clone, speaking to it for the first time in days. The eerie form of his younger self latched onto his pace. The way they tore off each branch, the way they landed, the way they held their arms rigidly back were all identical.

"She merely asked me a question, and I answered."

The grown Kakashi rolled his eyes. "You're leaving in three miles."

"What!"

It wasn't too surprising that the orange ninja up ahead decided to eavesdrop on the conversation. Once the name "Sakura" was uttered from anyone's lips, it was as if someone ripped open a lid of cup ramen. They boy was _there. _

"Before we enter Rain directly, the clone will leave until needed. Like before, we don't need to draw any unnecessary attention. In fact, we can't afford to."

The three mile mark rapidly approached. When Naruto informed Sakura, Kakashi could see the questions stirring in her head. A disgruntled look always settled on her pouted lips. He wait patiently for her to speak up, but when she didn't he called on her.

"What's up?"

"Why would travelling with _him _make us any more suspicious? Who can tell the difference?" Sakura remembered her own humiliation when she overlooked younger Kakashi for the first time, despite his resemblance to her adult teacher. And she had _expected _it.

"Hmmm… Everyone, don't bother to hide your chakra signatures."

His former students wondered what point the Copy Nin was trying to mask as they tentatively lowered their guards.

_One… Sakura. Two, that's Sensei. _The last chakra signature flared into being. _Woah, what's that?_

"That's weird chakra," Naruto stated bluntly. Kid-Kakashi suppressed his chakra again, looking as if it were taboo to expose it in the first place. "Usually clones are made of your own chakra, right?"

"It _is _my chakra…. Chakra that I sealed _years _ago. You can sense the time stain on it. That's why we don't want him to be involved right away," Kakashi answered.

"Like a zombie," Sakura muttered under her breath, but apparently not quietly enough. Kid-Kakashi cast her a look of feigned hurt feelings. But then the look slid off his face when concern emanated in her green eyes. His face was back to its impassive state, lazy and faintly neutral.

And then, he winked.

"Eh-!"

"Sakura-chan!"

Team 7 officially named its new klutz. Sakura missed the next branch by a whole two feet. When her foot stomped down to meet the ground blank air greeted it instead.

"_Shit_!" she swore, more concerned with exactly how much she was being judged by the others. Another second of falling through air and rough hand grabbed her arm, assisting her planting her feet on a new foothold. She glanced behind her: Young Kakashi had her arm firmly in his hands.

"You should be more careful."

"Nani!"

His eyes creased into a small smile. "I'm leaving now." She blinked, at a loss. Naruto landed beside her, chanting something in her ear about her distractedness. Kakashi-sensei alighted on her left.

"We will plan to convene at this point in three days unless we get a lead or meet Sasuke," Kakashi said. His younger counterpart nodded and brought a thumb up to his lip. He bit it through the mask and crouched down to press the blood into the rough bark of the tree branch. In a dry, "poof", a squat ninken appeared.

When Pakkun turned around to see Kakashi in his earlier youth, his little puggy eyes bugged out.

"You're coming with me," kid-Kakashi said. His students were surprised to know that Kakashi still possessed his ninken contract at that age; then again, his friendship with Pakkun did seem long lasting.

"Ah, you're _that_ clone. Isn't this a throwback?" Pakkun hummed in his gravelly, deep voice. He turned to the others, taking Naruto, Sakura, and the special clone into view. "You could all be students together, huh?"

"Yeah, yeah. If I need you, I'll just summon you back. We can communicate that way if we have to," adult Kakashi explained.

"Right Boss."

A ninja's farewells were always brief, but in the rain that was especially true.

"See you," Kid-Kakashi said with a slight wave before accepting his duty and streaking off into the shadowed woods. Pakkun sniffed the air expertly before following.

"Loving the shampoo, Sakura. I see we both made the switch to White Lilac. Good choice." Then he, too, was gone.

"Naruto. If you say one word…" Sakura didn't know what gave her more mixed feelings; the clone Kakashi's impromptu departure or the fact that she _still _used the same shampoo of a dog. Who called her out in front of everyone.

For some reason, jounin Kakashi seemed on edge.

Now they turned their backs, ready to enter the Rain Village. Sakura hesitated a second longer. Somehow, she expected more from him. The clone. He was just a clone.

_Don't forget that, _Sakura told herself, but as they took off without him she also had a nagging feeling that they were abandoning Kakashi's past. That part was over. It was time to confirm Sasuke's whereabouts.

* * *

><p>Reviews please? What's working, what's not? How the in-character-ness?<p> 


	6. Weather Talk

Sorry about the long wait. To be honest I've lost my groove-writing isn''t coming to naturally at the moment, so sorry if this chapter seems forced. I never intended for this story to be very structured anyways-not super sure where it's headed. A few reviews came in that prompted me to get working on the update, so here it is. I hope you don't mind that the clone takes a hiatus.

* * *

><p><em>Now they turned their backs, ready to enter the Rain Village. Sakura hesitated a second longer. Somehow, she expected more from him. The clone. He was just a clone.<em>

_Don't forget that, Sakura told herself, but as they took off without him she also had a nagging feeling that they were abandoning Kakashi's past. That part was over. It was time to confirm Sasuke's whereabouts._

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Six<strong>: **Weather Talk**

The infamous rumors about the Rain village whispered that just about anyone could get _into_ it; but hardly anyone could get _out_ after the fact. Rain clouds continually hung over the head of its inhabitants. Kakashi related that information to his team and watched them swallow it hard, especially the blonde; for Naruto, it proved difficult to keep thoughts of Jiraiya from breaching his mind.

Despite the Leaf's standing, it was well known that visitors were watched incessantly and unwelcome. Even Kakashi determined that Naruto's personal alliance with Konan was void until they determined whether or not Pain's counterpart actually remained in charge of the village. And given the pretenses, that paper-plated woman would know whether or not Sasuke was here. Until then, Team 7 would not risk being tracked.

"We can't stay in one of the normal Inns. No doubt they're required to keep logs of guests and report anything about outsiders, right?" Sakura deduced, dreading the dark colored clouds rolling over the sky's area. The three shinobi were stationed warily on the outskirts of the villages's first center.

"Eh? Then what the hell are we supposed to do out here?" Naruto cried. The incessant raining, a permanent characteristic of the land, dampened each of their moods. He couldn't tell what irked him more; this heavy rain or the fact that Sasuke was likely not in this place.

Unfortunately for him, Kakashi also stood firm on the issue. "Sakura is right. We can't—"

"THERE!" Naruto burst out, thrusting a finger forth. The others looked on ahead at a small building with faintly lit neon letters and a cow face decorating the forefront. The dilapidated building looked as crummy as the morals it represented, Sakura thought. A vein pulsed on the side of her wide forehead.

"You are such a pervert!" Part of it was true—something inside Naruto told him _this _was the place to be, despite not knowing that his previous pervy sage sought out the same place during his visit long ago. However, the boy's lewd intuition wasn't the only force behind his excitement. He dashed forward a few steps, surveying the building with a hand shading his eyes.

"Uh, no Sakura-chan, that's not it! It's just that, a place like that has to be private…. right?"

"A place like what?" she demanded.

"It's… a… obviously…"

"A brothel," Kakashi stated bluntly. "Naruto is actually right. It's unlikely that they keep track of their patrons' identities—it would be costly for important people in the village who spend money there." A stretch of silence hung onto his words.

Slowly but surely the pinkette had to face her defeat in the matter; she was stuck with two perverted guys that wanted to house up in a brothel for the night. Her slight disappointment in the elder of the two was suppressed by the knowledge that they were right.

"They aren't going to welcome me and not be suspicious," the kunoichi pointed out warily. "I don't think they "service" women. In fact…" An idea popped in her head. The others could practically see the gears turning in her mind, complimented byaA determined pout settled on her lips as she thought.

If they were to scrape up any intel at all from this little excursion, _she_ could be the one to achieve that goal. Sakura had no qualms about what she prepared to suggest; learning of Sasuke's whereabouts depended on it. Plus, she would have to partake in these kinds of missions eventually. This might be the watered down version.

Kakashi raised an eyebrow.

"Y-you're gonna what?" Naruto asked.

"Let me go first and pose as a worker! I'll ask for employment and I can gather intel that way." She turned her steely green eyes to her sensei for approval, but he didn't look fully comfortable with the idea. But, it was _her _plan.

"I don't think that's the best idea. We shouldn't split up so soon. Unless…" For a brief moment, the Copy Ninja's face became even more unreadable. Then, he flashed them an eye-creased smile that couldn't have meant anything good. "Well, it probably won't look good on the mission expenses if it shows the team checking into a place like this. We can use Sakura-chan for payment for our lodging. That way we can stick together and Sakura gets to play her role."

"…."

Naruto scratched his head.

"It's great to know a kunoichi's worth," lamented the girl. She stepped to the side before Kakashi could plant a reassuring hand on her pink head. Naruto was still dizzy, trying to decipher the proposal. With Sakura's sardonic consent, they trudged forward.

* * *

><p>"Don't worry about it, Naruto!" Sakura shoved him through the gaudy entrance of the sparkling building, with Kakashi following their shadows.<p>

"Kakashi-sensei, what is Sakura going to do?" Inside, a slightly plump woman settled at reception. Her bulging eyes widened at their arrival.

"_Shh,_" the taller of the two hissed through his mask . "Not now." Naruto pursed his lips and stomped up to the woman impatiently. He couldn't wrap his head around Sakura's proposal; sure she was a girl, but why would she work in a place like this? He superimposed the image of Sakura over the homely woman with red cheeks in front of him. Wasn't Sakura way too concerned about Sasuke to sit at a desk and—

"I said, c_an I help you?_" the woman snapped as he finally noticed her glare. Naruto flinched and jerked back when he realized his proximity . That face scared him, but the feeling was not mutual. The woman merely craned her neck to peer around his orange-clad body; A foreign looking man and odd, pink haired girl entered her vision. Then that orange block planted itself back in front of-

A hand on the back of his collar jerked Naruto backwards as Kakashi stepped up to the plate.

"How long will you be staying?" The woman asked, her tone changing instantly when the white haired man was before her. Naruto and Sakura scowled at the sudden change in tone; Now she was practically _purring_!

"A few days," the Copy Nin replied monotonously as the clerk and handed him a room key. Just before she dropped it into his gloved hand, a question occurred to her.

"And what about the girl?"

"She's a tag-along and willing to work. We would only be staying a few days," he said earnestly, the implication in his voice catching on smoothly. The plump lady motioned for him to move so she could examine the girl behind him.

Sakura stood still with a hand on her hip, trying to ignore the icy feel of judging eyes. If the lady was pleased, she didn't show it.

"Huh. Nothing special, just that awkward pink hair. Luckily men go for skinny things like her, now, don't they? They don't ever want a _real _woman," she huffed, oblivious to Sakura's murderous eyes and Naruto's pending explosion.

"Hey! You can't talk to-!" The rest of the threat was drowned out by Sakura's hand.

"Don't call me by my name!" She hissed in his ear. Kakashi sighed and turned back to the desk.

Kakashi felt filthy just handing over the girl like a valuable token. This would look _really bad _in the mission report, but besides that an edge of protectiveness fogged his senses_. _With reluctance he stuffed the feeling away. Sakura stowed away her injustice and the plump woman bit back her secret envy—the exchange was made.

* * *

><p>The simple room the boys were afforded offered two beds and a shower. The simplicity of the design suggested that they wouldn't spend much time inside of it.<p>

"Wait, so, let me get this straight!" Kakashi sighed as a certain troublesome blonde intercepted the silver-haired Jounin and crossed his arms. "We're staying in this room, and Sakura's staying with the… the w-workers? They're prostitutes aren't they!"

"I believe they prefer the term 'call girls'", Kakashi replied lightly, nudging him out of the way to throw his bag on the second bed. His female ex-student roamed his thoughts while Naruto protested loudly about the dangers of the situation.

"Weren't you the one who suggested we stay here?" Kakashi reminded him, mildly irritated. He watched the boy pace around, fighting with himself. "It's not like we're staying here for long."

"I know, but what if some guy…!"

"Sakura can take care of herself." His voice was firm. In truth, Kakashi hadn't fully analyzed the possibilities like he normally did. In this case, he preferred not to.

"If I knew this was the plan, I could have just used my Sexy Jutsu!"

"You could, if you wanted to help her gather intel. Waste all the chakra you want before we run into Sasuke."

His tone was infuriating to the boy who pressed Kakashi to show an inch more of empathy for their other teammate. Adult Kakashi began to remind him of the clone. "Ugh! Sensei, don't you get it? What if Sakura gets into a bad situation where she has no choice but to, you know…"

Kakashi put a finger to his mouth, gesturing for the concerned boy to shut up. Did Naruto really consider the jounin _that _inconsiderate? The Hatake began to expect that soon the rest of his dignity would crumble at the hands of his students.

Naruto blinked as his old teacher flashed him that infamous eye-creased smile, laden with old, familiar reassurances. "Don't worry. I'll take care of it."

* * *

><p>"Woah! A pinky!" a voice screeched as soon as the incognito kunoichi was shoved through the door of the worker's quarters. She blinked and peered around the room, which was lined with lockers, vanities and few beds.<p>

_All these women… are much older than me! _Every dark pair of eyes seemed to regard her with either envy or complete apathy. The owner of the voice tossed something silky in her direction.

"H-hi," Sakura greeted as she caught the silken cloth before it draped over her face.

"Welcome. I'm Mai," said the one who pitched the garment. "Put that on and we'll give you your first client. Won't he be happy?" Sakura noted the earnest tone of her voice and took her word. Most of the other women began to turn away and ignore her.

"I take it you're new at this," Mai said rather quickly. "It's not that bad. You just do what they want and go home at the end of the night with some money in your pocket." Sakura nodded, drinking in the appearance of the woman who instructed her.

Mai wasn't too skinny, but she had almond shaped eyes and straight black hair that made her desirable. What these women lacked in youth they made up for in beauty and resilience. They seemed more experienced and knowledgeable to the pinkette, who couldn't imagine what laid in store for her.

She began to suspect that the lady at the front desk was right about her lack of curves and felt annoyingly immature.

"Are you from around here?" Sakura asked, clearing her mind and taking a seat at a vanity in the cramped space. Her real intentions were to gather intel, not entertain clients.

"Obviously, I can tell _you're_ not."

"Where are you from?" piped up another voice from the far corner.

"Um, I-I'm travelling with a few people. I'm working for a free stay." A sinister chuckle emanated from a place by the closets.

"Honey, nothing is _free._"

Sakura decided to press on with her own questioning, regardless of her fraying nerves; that last statement made her cringe. "Well, if this works out maybe I'll stay here. Is the Rain Village a nice place to live?" A few murmurs and debates broke out from her question.

"You know, it rained really hard for a few weeks not to long ago, but since then it's really lessened," Mai said carefully.

_Does anyone ever have anything to talk about except the rain? _Sakura bit the inside of her cheek, willing herself patience. It was clear that these women were reluctant to speak about the village in a anything but a positive way. Even the strange looks they cast her after the question cued her to be more subtle. Then again, the decrease in rain appeared to stand out among the locals, who were subject to the miserable precipitation all their lives-with very little breaks. An even more frivolous question interrupted her analytical thoughts:

"Do you have a boyfriend?" Mai asked suddenly. She either skillfully steered away from the subject, or became a lot more absorbed by the young girl who suddenly stopped by this hidden village. Mai smiled when the new girl's cheeks turned as pink as her hair. Some words stumbled from her lips.

"No, I don't," she told them, wondering why the word "no" was nearly forced from her mouth as if it weren't true. She hated that question. Just because she didn't have a boyfriend didn't mean her heart was available for whoever sought to claim it! And currently her heart was a little hung up on another hopeless endeavor she didn't care to think about.

"Alright, you're up, girl. There's a new client waiting and you're to be tested with him. Do a good job and you can stay here!"

"What!"

She slipped into her new clothes just before Mai pushed her out hastily. She hadn't even had the time to ask about leadership in the village! The questioning would have to wait until after she dealt with the next impromptu situation.

* * *

><p>They told her to woo the change out of her first client's pockets and pushed her into one of the exclusive lounge rooms. She didn't know what to expect or how to handle the situation, but bit her tongue and went forward anyways. Her leg felt bare as it slipped in and out of the high slit of her silk dress. She shut the door behind her and found the back of her clients head sitting on the couch.<p>

Sliding tentatively around the furniture, Sakura saw that her first "_client_" was Kakashi Hatake. She didn't know whether to be relieved, mortified or secretly pleased, so she settled for awkward. His masked nose was buried in a volume of Icha Icha (how dare he!) and it wasn't until she coughed did he finally notice her.

"Oh…" His white eyebrows raised in slender arcs. "I didn't expect it to be _you, _but this works out even better, doesn't it?"

"W-What?" she stuttered. That _perverted _old—

"You didn't want to have to charm a stranger, did you?" His voice made her feel stupid; of course this was good. He had to be here to play his part sufficiently, and as long as this was _him, _she didn't have to seduce anyone! She sighed, seating herself on the couch as well and scrunching together the fabric of her dresses' slit to preserve modesty. If he noticed her provocative clothing, he didn't show it.

_Am I really that plain?_ She thought a bit dismally. Suddenly a brief knock sounded on the door, and another woman entered.

"Hatake-san, let us give you some drinks on the house."

"Ah…Tthank you," he said, not really bothering to look up from his book to get an eyeful of the real thing. Sakura couldn't be sure if it was genuine disinterest or his desire to be professional on this mission. She wondered why he was being given free drinks that the Copy Nin clearly didn't order.

"Hataku-san, please let us know if there is anything else we can give you. This is Tami-chan, I'm sure you know, but she is new. _Please _do tell us if she's up to par. We want you to be satisfied." Jeesh, thought Sakura, who knew they held their girls to such high standards?

"Of course. She's lovely," Kakashi said with a shallow smile. Inadvertently his student blushed and turned her head. The door closed, and when she returned her gaze Kakashi had a drink in hand and was just pulling up his mask.

"Sensei!" she chided. "Should you really be drinking on the job?" For a second he ignored her—she noticed that he left the Sharingan uncovered, though.

"Something's changed," Kakashi said, peering around for a moment. "Sakura…" She stiffened.

"What is it?"

"We're being watched," he whispered lowly. "Either they are suspicious of you or want to evaluate your… performance. I'm betting on the latter since they aren't aware that we arrived together. There is a two-way mirror covering the wall on your right. They can't hear us." She knew now why he didn't cover the Sharingan.

"That's sick," she said, disgusted. "So what should we do?" Kakashi looked a little tense, and she understood even if she didn't want to voice it. If they watched, they had to play out their roles to avoid appearing suspicious. This was important.

Wordlessly she sidled up to Kakashi, getting much closer than she could without blushing.

"I was the idiot who volunteered to do this," she muttered. "I know." But Kakashi was mute. That small orange book was still captive in his fingertips. With a small exhale she reached over and plucked the book from his fingers.

Now he _had_ to pay attention, though that wasn't her goal. She knew the severity of deception in this case. She could hardly believe she was so incredibly nervous around the man she had known and trusted for years. Why was it that now the proximity of her body to his threw her into a nervous state of uncertainty?

The book was held captive in her fingers now, but her mind slipped out of focus. She hardly noticed that Icha Icha was practically vibrating in her grip; her hands were shaking.

Kakashi noticed, quietly. One of his gloved hands took hers. Her breath hitched while he took the book from her and placed it on the table top. Once her hand stopped shaking, he removed his own.

Kakashi wanted to tell her not to worry, but in this case, he didn't want to give her any instruction at all.

Sakura gulped, laughed a little nervously, and in the spirit of acting professionally shrugged it off. "I hope you don't mind… I mean, they're still watching, right?"

"Ah." In an act that would have made Naruto shiver in shock, Sakura lifted herself off of the couch, spun around, and got on top of her Sensei: one leg at a time, until she straddled him.

_Great… Now I'm sitting in my teacher's lap. I'm sitting in _Kakashi-sensei's_ lap. _It took everything she had not to hyperventilate. In fact, the pinkette did not have any spare energy to direct to her lungs to even breathe. All of the blood in her body must have rushed to her scarlet face.

Kakashi, she noticed, remained extremely still. His hands were at his sides. He just sat there. And when Sakura chanced glancing at his face (where else was she going to look? She couldn't look down!), his eye met hers.

_I didn't think she would go through with this, _Kakashi commented inwardly. That lesson of trust and teamwork must have worked better than he thought.

Sakura was mixed with the paralyzing strangeness of her current compromising position and the odd, innate desire to reach over and bury a hand in Kakashi's fluffy silvery white hair.

Not that she had always wanted to do that or anything.

Because she would never breach the personal bubble that belonged to Hatake Kakashi.

Except for now. And there was no better way to dreadfully realize that her best friend was right- she had a big, fat, sad, intoxicating crush on her sensei. The blush wasn't solely from embarrassment, though that played a large part. It was from partial attraction and the thought that he could catch onto her.

But even though fear made her stiff, something else pulled her in. An idea. She learned in closer, _really _close, and… inhaled his scent.

_Sakura, stop that! Move on!_

She leaned in until her lips almost brushed his ear.

"I-I have an idea…"

She had never been _this _close to Kakashi before, save for the Genin days when he might have scooped her up to toss her out of harm's way. Back when she was helpless, like the time that guy hurled a log at them and he dash forward to wrap his arms around her and fling them away at the speed of—

"Ah, Sakura?"

"Can you cover me while I cast a genjutsu? And then, can you use the Sharingan to put them to sleep?"'

"Ah."

"Okay. Cover me." She wondered if her whispering directly into his ear was uncomfortable, as it caused him to shift a little beneath her. She drew back, slightly hunched, so that she could weave the signs.

If Sakura only remembered what kind of fabric decorated her thin body, Kakashi wouldn't have to worry so much about averting his gaze. In her current position she gave him an eyeful of cleavage. It wasn't her fault; that risqué dress she called her uniform was intent on showing off every curve and peek of skin it could to the male gaze. If only Sakura was _aware _of that.

The genjustu was done. Sakura shifted to the left, allowing Kakashi access to the two-way window. She even took the liberty of pushing his inside-out headband up his forehead, though the intimate gesture wasn't really necessary when the spectators were under an illusion.

She overlooked that part. In a breathtaking display, the Sharingan's comas swirled around and Kakashi confirmed the voyeurs were sound asleep.

Sakura exhaled.

"So…"

_Yeah. _The Jounin's verbal cue alerted the kunoichi of her current, still awkward, position. She scrambled so hastily to get off his lap she nearly fell over the other side. Luckily, a gloved hand caught her wrist and broke her fall. A light hearted chuckle let her know that no harm was done, and no relationships were damaged.

_Naruto is going to have a fit if he ever hears about this, _Sakura thought sullenly.

"So, Sakura… Did you find out anything useful?"

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><p><strong>Reviews<strong> much appreciated, criticism especially welcome while I'm in this rut.


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